Sotarios was the jokester of the bunch and eerily similar to Maxim in build and character. His dark blue eyes continuously twinkled while he thought of some way to irritate or prank one of his brethren. They had all threatened to kill him at one point during the trip, but he could tell they only pretended irritation and enjoyed his antics.
Altair was Sotarios’s favorite target. He carried a continuous scowl that appeared even more sinister by the neatly trimmed facial hair he allowed to grow on his upper lip and chin. His jet-black eyes gave away nothing of his emotions while Sotarios worked diligently to make him laugh. The best he could accomplish was a slight twitch of Altair’s upper lip.
Haemon was slightly taller than them all and considered a gentle giant. Despite the ever-present peacefulness shining within his turquoise eyes, he was wickedly deadly with a sword and showed no mercy to those that would dare to harm his companions.
His cousin, Geleon, had the same temperament, yet he was quieter and more contemplative than Haemon. If asked a question, he would stare through your skull with his soulful green eyes and only answer after putting great thought to his choice of words. One would be wise not to misinterpret his quietness for docility. Lucien had seen his training sessions with Altair, and he was lethal with a set of matched short blades.
It was Keos that kept the group engaged at all times. The alpha male was a veritable powerhouse of frenetic energy. Lucien could even now feel his essence vibrating through the corridor and tingling against his back. His intense aquamarine eyes constantly assessed everything around him. He missed nothing. Lucien was more than happy to have this ball of energy shielding his flank.
Eryx and the guards lined the curved wall of the flight pod while Lucien stepped toward the pilots. He raised his palm when they swiveled around in their seats and attempted to stand.
“No. Please stay. Just let me know the status and what happened.”
Baruch’s golden eyes widened and he glanced over to Makar, the ship’s pilot. These two were life mates, and after losing their shared female, one was never seen without the other. Makar cast Baruch a comforting glance then turned his calm, gray eyes back to the group standing anxiously before him. His voice rang confident and professional.
“There was a sudden strain on the engine core and we briefly lost control of navigation. Noncritical lighting was shut down by the computer to compensate. Analysis shows all equipment performing to expected levels once reserve power returned control. Internal diagnostics shows no equipment damage or failure. Our scanners have not identified any abnormalities outside of the ship. It is unexplainable.”
Lucien moved closer and gestured at the viewing screen. “Could the dying star have anything to do with it? I have passed this way before without issue, but perhaps it has expelled further into the quadrant?”
The tips of Makar’s black hair swayed against his large shoulders while he shook his head. “We took that into consideration and found no increase in gas emissions. It carries the same signature that was logged from your last trip.”
Baruch cleared his throat. “Emperor, we have sent transmission to Messor regarding the anomaly. They are sending out short-range haulers to escort us the remainder of the way. Should it occur again and we lose complete power, they will be prepared to tow us in. Would you like for us to also relay this to Insedivertus’s command center?”
Lucien considered the question for a few moments, then briefly shook his head. “No. Let us not worry them unnecessarily. Messor is aware and taking appropriate action. That should be sufficient. Carry on.”
Lucien turned back to the line of impatient warriors. “There is nothing more for us to do here except get in the way. Sotarios, what have you planned for our meal today?”
Sotarios’s dark blue eyes twinkled and he waggled his brows. “It is a surprise.”
Lucien laughed when a collection of low groans filled the cabin. “So be it. I have a surprise for all of you as well. Have you ever heard of ‘Informal Speak’?”
At their confused looks, Lucien chuckled and gestured for them to follow him down the corridor. “Good. Then we shall learn together.”
Chapter 2
“Wrong, you idiot,” Sotarios huffed. “That isn’t how you’re supposed to say it. Do it again.”
Altair lifted his tray and stood up from the table. “I will not say it again. I had it right the first time. You are the idiot.”
“No, it’s you’re the idiot.” Sotarios looked to the others lining the table and gestured toward Altair’s retreating back. “See? Even when he’s arguing, he can’t use them correctly. Am I wrong?”
Lucien laughed. “You’re getting very good at this, Sotarios. Perhaps I’ll put you in charge of training the others. However, you have to promise not to call them idiots if they get it wrong. Not everyone learns at the same pace.” Lucien suppressed a grin when Altair returned to the table and lifted a vindicated brow. He sat down and tilted his head in question.
Sotarios blushed. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Altair.”
“You’re forgiven.” His lip twitched when the chastened warrior’s eyes narrowed.
“You know how to say them,” Sotarios grumbled. “You’re just being stubborn.”
At Altair’s satisfied grunt, Lucien slid his handheld in front of him. “Try this sentence and use contractions where appropriate.”
After a long-suffering sigh, Altair’s deep voice filled the room. “I’m from Greece. If you’re interested, I’d like to take you on a date.”
The warriors laughed and Keos slapped him on the back.
“Inferni, Altair. The female will surely run away if you frown like that when you ask her. You sounded like a date meant chewing her leg off.”
Altair shoved the handheld over to Keos and his scowl deepened. “I’d do it better if there was a pretty female standing before me instead of all your ugly mugs.”
Keos laughed and tapped the screen on the small computer. “Let’s go back to the slang section. We had more fun with those.”
Everyone showed surprise when Geleon spoke up.
“I think that you’ve versed us thoroughly on the proper way to say ‘pussy’ and that your ‘cock’ would like to meet one. We get it, amici.”
Lucien was unable to control his raucous laughter mixing with the others. Even Altair showed a little bit of teeth from that unexpected and lengthy comment.
The merriment instantly cut short when the ship rocked violently to the left and dumped them all onto the floor. The room tilted to a ninety-degree angle while everyone clung to the bolted tables and cursed the gods. Lucien barely snatched his handheld from the air before it could slam into Haemon’s cheek. Just as quickly, the ship righted and fell deathly silent. The room plunged into complete darkness. The hum of the emergency lighting engaging broke the tense silence.
“Gods damn!” Keos shouted. “Are you okay, my emperor?”
Attempting to assess the critical situation, Lucien nodded briefly. “Yes. I’m fine. See to the others.”
Keos had taken no more than two steps and the ship lurched forward and halted. Everyone grabbed the tables and hung on for another tilt that didn’t occur. The ship’s engines howled to a loud whine and the room shook briefly before quieting again. When nothing more happened, Lucien heard mumbled curses and watched shadowy bodies moving to an area with the greatest lighting.
Minutes passed while every warrior checked each other for damage. Relief suffused the group to find only bruises and small cuts. Lucien made quick strides to the galley door while issuing commands over his shoulder.
“Eryx, Keos. Come with me. The rest of you check the ship for damage and report to me within the hour. Go.”
Lucien strode quickly down the corridor and stopped in front of the guest quarters. He pounded on the door. “Ulixes! Are you in there?” Punching the entry pad, Lucien entered and searched the darkness for signs of the Protonecian. Items lay scattered about the floor, but there was no sign of him. When
he turned to leave, a muffled sound drifted from the bath facility.
Eryx was first to the door. Flinging it wide, he peered inside and glanced back over his shoulder. He said, “He is here,” before slipping inside. Moments later, he backed out with his arms wrapped around Ulixes’s bare chest.
Eryx laid him gently on the floor just as the lights engaged and revealed blood running down the unconscious male’s face and dripping onto his shoulder. Keos ran into the bath and returned with a towel. He pressed it to the head wound and looked up to Eryx.
“The kit is in our sleeping quarters. Look under Geleon’s bunk.”
Lucien knelt beside Ulixes and pushed the blood-soaked hair away from his face. “Can you hear me?” Relief washed over him when the injured male opened his eyes and moaned.
“Yes. I was hoping I dreamed my tumble, but this pain is telling me otherwise. What happened?”
Lucien took the cloth from Keos and studied the gash along Ulixes’s hairline. It appeared to be minor compared to the amount of blood that had spilled. The healing would not require stasis.
“We’re not sure yet. We stopped here before we went any further. You had said you were going to your room after I transferred the training document to your computer. I’d hoped to find you safe in your bunk.”
Ulixes gave a weak smile. “Thank you for checking on me. I was moments away from entering the cleaning unit. At least my cock and balls were covered and protected before I took flight.”
Keos’s bark of laughter cut the tension in half. “Ulixes! You’re my new best friend. I like the slang section, too. We shall study it together.”
“I would be honored.”
Keos patted him on the shoulder and retrieved wet cloths to wipe the blood from his smiling face. Moments later, Ulixes was propped up against the wall and allowing Eryx to attach the healing device around his head.
Lucien stood and moved to the doorway. “Now that I know you will be okay, I must see to the pilots and discover what trouble we find ourselves in.” A flushed and sweating Haemon met him in the hallway and followed him to the flight pod.
“Altair and Geleon are righting the cargo hold. Our water filtration tank sprung a leak, but it has been corrected. Other than that, we just have a mess of things on the floor.”
“Good. Let’s hope that our pilots fared as well.”
Lucien was happy to see both Makar and Baruch sitting upright in their seats when he arrived. His mood immediately turned to concern when he noticed the large knot on Baruch’s cheek. He touched him lightly on the shoulder.
“Flying debris?”
Baruch snorted and glanced to Makar. “No. It was a flying elbow.”
Makar’s cheeks flushed. “You should not have been leaning in so closely.”
Lucien chuckled. “I’m glad that was all you suffered. Go see Eryx in guest quarters. He’s caring for all the injuries. Makar can brief me on what we are dealing with. Go now.”
Makar swiveled his chair around after Baruch departed. “Emperor, it is not good. All systems are functioning properly, but we have been pulled off our flight path. There was no malfunction, nor did we run into any debris to cause the half roll. An attempt to readjust the course resulted in the hard stop you felt. I am hesitant of trying again for fear of damaging the engines. It appears we are caught in some type of gravitational pull, but this makes no sense. We have passed no large planetary bodies. Hesarc is too far away to be the cause. I am baffled.”
Lucien sat in Baruch’s pilot seat and looked out the viewing panel toward the unending darkness. “This is indeed strange. Have you contacted Messor?”
Makar shook his head. “That was my next step.”
Watching closely while coordinates were selected on the communications grid, Lucien tried to relax his tightened jaw. How in Dii’s name would they be rescued? Surely, any other transport would be caught in the same anomaly. The ramifications of that possibility sat heavily on his thoughts. His brows drew together when Makar’s voice grew urgent.
“Messor Command. This is Insedi Athenian Genus Four. Respond.”
Several minutes passed, and Makar cast worried eyes to him. “Nothing. May I try Insedi Command?” At Lucien’s nod he came away with the same result and a deeper furrow between his brows. “I am puzzled. Systems analysis shows no failure, yet our hails are unnoticed.”
Lucien stood and paced the flight pod. He could see Makar’s concern grow by the second as evidenced by his consistent finger-tapping to the flight panel. An idea came to him.
“Engage the defenses. Fire three pulses and see how far they extend ahead of us. We can only pray another innocent ship is not directly in our path before the charge dissipates without a solid target. Do it.”
Makar swiveled in his seat and released three laser bursts. Riveted, they watched intently while the small red blobs of energy disappeared into the darkness. Satisfied with the results, Lucien returned to the copilot seat.
“Reverse the viewer and do the same from the aft cannons. Just one this time.”
Makar did as instructed. Lucien ignored the sound of pounding boots indicating his warriors were converging onto the flight pod for answers. He focused on the pulse until it disappeared.
“Quick, calculate the distance from the point of the ship roll to our location now. Tell me if the laser burst surpassed that mark.”
After a few moments, Makar turned to Lucien and grinned. “Yes, it was able to move away from the pull. What do you have in mind, Emperor?”
Lucien turned and faced Keos. “Remove two laser cylinders and disengage the power source. Place any unnecessary object inside just one cylinder and reload it. Make note of the round rotation. Report back on the com link when done. Quickly.”
Keos was gone before Lucien could turn to Makar. “I want you to set the guidance to pulse fire just past the roll coordinates. We will be testing to see if our cargo remains inside the cylinder and close to our original flight path.”
Makar’s brows rose and his lips moved into a full smile. “Very good, Emperor. Very good.” Seconds later he was prepared and opened the com channel to the guidance room. “Keos, I’m ready when you are.”
A breathless Keos responded. “Hold on. Hold on. Almost there. Okay. Good. It’s ready and in rotation five.”
Lucien clenched his teeth when Makar’s index finger pressed the panel. Everyone leaned forward and watched the small cylinder jettison in the direction they had traveled. He turned away at Makar’s voice.
“Mark. It is past the anomaly point and slowing. Cargo’s intact. It should drift unless something captures it or gravity is introduced.”
Smiling, Lucien pointed to the communication panel. “Record a message. Provide our last known coordinates and the grid that we travel now. List the time everything has occurred and warn of the anomaly. Make note of our drift rate as well. Baruch, take the chip to Keos and have him repeat what he has done.”
Altair’s voice sounded across the room. “The cylinder is so small. How will anyone know to find it?”
Lucien sat back in the copilot’s chair and smiled. “That is why Baruch will tell Keos to put the ship locator beacon inside with the recording. It does us no good if they have no idea which way to travel. If left close to where they expect us, we have a chance. We can only pray that our current path is a relatively straight one. I calculate that the haulers Messor sent should determine us missing within eight hours. They will contact our command and an Insedi force will be here within four days. They will take the fastest battleship. The cylinder should not be too far off course by that point and well within range for the ship’s tracker to recognize the beacon signature. I know there are many variables to consider, but I see no other option.”
Ulixes’s concerned voice drifted from behind the warriors. “Any that follow will be prone to the gravity lock. Let us hope that it eventually releases us or we will only be subjecting others to our same fate.”
Lucien nodded solemnly. “Yes. This w
eighs heavily with me. It will be my son’s decision as acting emperor to either pursue us after he has knowledge of this possibility, or determine ten lives are not worth the sacrifice of hundreds. I don’t envy him the decision.”
Several moments of quiet contemplation passed while the gravity of the situation settled upon their shoulders. Makar finished the message and stood. He handed the recording to Baruch and clenched his mate’s hand just as a deep, but thoughtful, voice broke the tense silence. All heads turned to Geleon.
Intelligent, light green eyes never wavered while he asked the very question that traveled through Lucien’s own mind.
“What would you do, Emperor? If you had to make that fateful decision, what order would you give?”
Lucien let his gaze travel across every expectant face and burned them into his memory. He looked directly at Geleon and spoke the truth.
“I would pursue you to the ends of the universe and further.”
He was surprised at the solemnness that immediately passed over their features. He was touched when each bowed his head and dropped to his right knee. His heart filled with love when open palms slammed against their hearts and immediately fisted in an unspoken pledge of faithfulness and respect as ancient as the name of the first Insedi ruler. He fought the lump swelling in his throat to see Ulixes, a former enemy, swearing his fealty while shoulder to shoulder in camaraderie with his warriors. It was a sight he knew would stay with him to the day of his death.
Lucien fought for his composure and rose from the seat. He stepped forward and placed his palm on each lowered head, then stepped back. “I am honored. Rise.”
As all gazes rose to his, he smiled. “From this point forward, you will call me Lucien.”
Chapter 3
Lucien stepped from the bathing unit and heard the com link chirping in the next room. Quickly, he wrapped a towel around his waist and rushed into the main cabin to press the keypad.
Fueled by Lust: Lucien (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 2
